As a fullfilment for the requirements of a Ph.D. Degree in the Geography
of Urban Building

Supervised by

Prof. Abdalla S. Omar

Prof. Emhemmad A. Mugeili

Geography
of Cities

Geography
of Climate

Head of
the

Composer
of Higher Studies

Department
of Geography

In the
Department of Geography

College of Arts

College of Arts

Al-FatehUniversity

Al-FatehUniversity

Tripoli

Abstract

Sabrata
had been studied through its urban development stages, that are interrelated with the changes of
the economic and social conditions there. 'Slow' is the best term describing
the above-mentioned development till (1960) in a rate of (5.6%), which was due
to the absence of any city planning or ad hoc urban development. In (2002), the
urban development growth has increased to reach the rate of (39%).

The
rapid urbanism had reflected a kind of industrial evolution, which made the
rural people immigrate to the cities, this has led to city-specific problems
showing up even at the very heart of the city centre in negative forms of
contradictions that may either merge or get prominent individuality from time
to time. As an instance of that we can see the random residential sectors
created by the violation of issuing building licenses to citizens, regardless
to any pre-planning that considers the distribution of urban uses on the city
land. However, the use of residential area has reached the rate of (28.7%),
that rate is lower that the general average of the residential use inside the
city, generally speaking, ranging from (30-40%) out of the urban area.

The
study of Sabrata city has adopted a sequential arrangement that stands for a
coordinate style and an essential base for the study, for the problem of this
study can be limited within a number of points. The most crucial of which can
be seen in the fact that Sabrata city undergoes a random building process in
its suburbs. This led to the loss of the agricultural features of wide fertile
lands. The most outstanding characteristics of this city can be due to its
position and location, within which a good amount of interaction has resulted
indide an urban-rural area.

The
study aims at the identification of the constructional and functional situation
of the city districts, and to refer to the violations of the planning standards
and residential constructions. Moreover, the study intends to draw a picture of
the internal construction of the city and its outer environment in order to
figure out the exact image of land use, and to reach the territorial effect of
the city by getting accurate facts about the interaction between it and the
surrounding rural zone.

Methodologically
speaking, the study tried to uncover the building communities that can be seen,
sometimes by their constructional features and planning violations, and other
times by their organized ones in the far suburbs. All of which is to be stated
as too hard to adopt a limited approach with, that is due to the lack of the
available possibilities and information about the area understudy.

The
study has tackled the city map that looks closely like a quarter system of
right angles, which is obviously seen in the city centre. Whereas in its suburbs,
especially the rural marginal areas; that are not included in the planning
originally, we can see the random unsystematic streets of an organic entity.
Besides, the central area works are not in the final shape yet, which is due to
the inter-uses of commercial, residential, and industrial aspects. It is
clearly seen that the urban structure of the city is not well-wooven in most of
its parts. The Arabic open architect can be noticed, and also the Western one;
composed of one or double volumes. In addition to certain styles of popular
houses, apartments, and villas; all of which can be restricted to four
locations. Consequently, we have figured out a strong connection between the
area of the dwelling place, the number of its floors and the type of the dwelling
family.

The
area of the study has gone through urban planning during a number of successive
years since the middle of the (1960's). That planning was dedicated to draw the
urban features of the city map; in the form of an attempt to stop the random movement
towards the empty places, then to make a kind of urban evolution. The
researcher has put forward a number of hypotheses which he regards as
well-serving factors in the study. Throughout the given statistical figures, we
could verify the accuracy of the hypotheses saying that: The city has proved a
rapid urban growth as a result of the natural increase of population, besides
the increasing standards of immigration; all of which have led to the increase
of its residents' number requiring, consequently, an increase in the space of
the containing land. Regardless to the modern building movement and the high
structures with the services offered by the city to its districts, all of which
has made the city of a prominent urban characteristic. The study has also
falsified the hypothesis saying that: The increase in population has been
accompanied by an increase in the number of housing units as a result of urban
development, on the contrary, the city still lacks the necessary housing units.

The
study has adopted a descriptive approach, firstly, by which we have reached the
required fact through reports, bulletins, researches, references, and all the
available sources. In addition to the employment of photographic pictures
clarifying many places in the city. Secondly, an analytical approach, in which
we had to depend upon a field study considerably. In this approach, we find a
high level of accuracy in getting any ad hoc data; moreover, in this part of
the study we had to use the detailed maps of the area for different periods of
time. Herein, we can see the administrative boarders of the city indicating the
urban developmental stages, specifically the ones related to the use of lands.

The
study included a random sample of (500) families from all the districts of
Sabrata. This questionnaire referred to crucial concepts served the hypotheses
and aims of the study. For it included (85) questions of comprehensive, clear
and relevant features. Besides the use of statistical figures of ratio and Chi Square (χ2)
in order to clarify the importance of the public services for the residents.
Also, we had used the rate of Concentration of Residents (CR) to realize the
relation between the numerical distribution of residents and the area, in
addition to other averages serving the topic of the study at the end of which
we reached a number of conclusions, recommendations and suggestions.

الأحد، 18 مارس 2012

Urban geography is the study of the site, evolution, morphology, spatial pattern, and classification of towns. Historically, three themes may be distinguished: the quantitative, descriptive approach, establishing the spatial organization of the city; the behavioural method, emphasizing the decision-making process within the perceived environment; and the radical tradition, which stresses not only the spatial inequalities within a city and the inequitable distribution of resources, but suggests strategies to remedy these inequalities. Some geographers look for diversity of the urban form, modelling urban morphologies associated with continents, or levels of economic development; others look for similarities, pointing out that urban poverty and inequality are found world-wide, and that only the extents are different. More recently, geographers have looked at social justice and the power relations within the city (D. Harvey 1996; R. Fincher and J. M. Jacobs (eds.) 1998).

Currently, the city is perceived as a physical and metaphorical entity, bound into a coherent whole by symbols and structures. The city is a discourse; a place of interaction, connection, and disconnection, multiply linked not only with its catchment, but with other cities around the world (J. Allen, D. Massey, and Proke (eds.) 1999). For current developments in urbangeography, see Moore et al., Area pp.35